Don’t. Sparks everywhere, no real accuracy on cuts.

As above, but I have a chop saw with metal cutting blade which is good for thin sections up to about 1cm thick, much thicker and you have to go gently.

Bob

An angle grinder strikes me as a very dangerous option compared with a band saw. I get very frightened by most hand held power tools.

JA

How big is the largest bar stock you plan on cutting?

Up to an inch , maybe inch and a half, a 4 1/2″ or 5″ angle grinder will do well enough on steel given a steady hand and proper work support. In practice best to take your workmate or equivalent outside to hold the job rather than spray sparks all over the place.

I have a cheap workmate knock off with a small 3 1/2″ vice semi-permanently fixed via wing nuts and a square block of wood for such messy take it outside duties. Having sufficient space in the shop it stays permanently up to regularly come in handy for holding jobs that aren’t going to work well on the bench.

You can get baby chop saw equivalent devices to hold a small angle grinder. Which work well enough providing you avoid the ultra cheapie end of the market. Picked up mine from LiDL mumble-mumble years ago when needing an easily transportable cutter for an off site job. Which it did fine but I don’t have an in workshop use for it so its primary duty is now to help hold down one of the higher up shelves.

Disk consumption will be considerable but the thin 1 mm disks aren’t silly expensive in bulk. The economics depend on how many cuts you expect to make. Handwaving estimate by extrapolation from my normal use suggests something of the order of 8 to 10 square inches of cut per disk might be possible.

If you want to cut sheet the sliding foot thingies that convert an angle grinder into a sort of circular saw are quite effective. The uber cheapie I got for “that one job” works better than the cost implied but, being universal, some (simple) modification was needed. Actually the thing would never have assembled as supplied.

The 9″, 230 mm, angle grinders are realistically limited to thick plate and wide bar as being unsafe to hand hold. Basically a work geometry mimicking the paving slabs and similar they are designed to cut. A slide with spark catcher is essential. I have some 12″ x 1″ bar that will have to be cut that way some time in the future. It should be an interesting experience. But not one I’m looking forward to.

A grinder is only safe to use on steel or iron.

Chop saws are effective, noisy, messy (another outside job) and quite large.

I’m unconvinced by the hand held bandsaws suggested by Jason. I picked up one about 3 years back, LiDL again, for an offsite job that, fortunately, didn’t happen. Found it rather heavy and unbalanced making it difficult to use.

Fine for a younger, stronger man I guess but a bit too much for this old fart to handle.

For bar cutting I reckon it would be best sat on a pivot base producing something similar to the Fermi small bandsaws discussed in a previous thread. With or without base such devices are on the large side for keeping on the shelf and lifting out when needed. I’d fit a hefty pull out shelf with flip down legs under the bench for storage. Pull out to use, slide back in to store.

Clive

I have a small bandsaw, similar to a Femi and several angle grinders and always quicker and easier to use the bandsaw in most cases. It is quieter, faster and less messy that an angle grinder. It is light and takes up little floor space and sits on a milk crate as a stand. No problem holding and cutting a piece of 110mm square or round steel. (try doing that with an angle grinder). I have also added a table to use it in a vertical configuration.

Clive the sort of “portable” bandsaw I was talking of is the Femi which I also have, similar style can be had for less. Not the Lidl type which are essentially handheld machines though you can get “chop” stands for some of them. The Lidl/Parkside one is available with the chop type stand.

I have not got round to making a table for my Femi as the throat is a bit limiting anyway so am happy to grab the 115mm grinder when sheet & plate need cutting. Having spent a lot of time on building sites I am quite happy using them but if anyone is getting on a bit and your grip is not so good then freehand may not be the way to go.

With the right discs you can also cut aluminium and other non ferrous metals like brass as well as stainless steel

Angle grinder

Not neighbour friendly ear defenders required. Will ruin any glass/plastic within a 2m range, has been known to burn holes in jeans (guess how I know.) Don’t damage the discs.

Chop saw

This does not mean a B&Q stocked saw that cuts the occasional screw in wood. Metal saws run slower. Not neighbour friendly ear defenders required. Shrapnel danger, but not as hot as the discs.

Personally I use my Kennedy 90 with auto off for thick bars because I can leave knocking away while I do something else. I have not bothered to buy a band saw. The Parkside £80 plasma gets used for plate work. It’s much like cutting card with a craft knife and quieter than the compressor providing the air.

Angle grinders are good for thin stuff and hollow sections. Pain in the neck for solid bar stock. Band saw is better for that.

Plus angle grinder sparks are a common cause of fires. They go everywhere and can sit undetected smouldering away on bits of paper, rag, wood etc and burst into flame some time later when nobody is around. I only ever use mine outside in the yard.